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WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont Department of Public Safety is reminding Vermonters and visitors to use caution when swimming in the state’s lakes and rivers, following two recent drowning deaths.

Public Safety Commissioner Tom Anderson said Friday that heavy rains this summer have caused waterways to rise and currents to increase so it’s even more important to be alert and careful when swimming.

The department is reminding people to never swim alone; be aware of your surroundings, including the current and location of rocks; be aware of slippery rocks that could lead to falls; be realistic about your abilities and to swim sober.

In the past week a 17-year-old boy died after being pulled from Lake Champlain in Burlington and an 11-year-old boy drowned in the Winooski River.